I am enlightened. Sincere seekers: ask me anything

[sleepyj]

Man @winterknight you should stop this business of saying you are enlightened. All I have to do is look at you asking who suffers and its crystal clear that you aren't. Telling people "who suffers" is dismissing your own pain and other people's pain and just becoming numb. It shows a serious lack of understanding of life. Even if you didn't suffer, you wouldn't respond to people with "who suffers" if you were enlightened. You would show compassion and offer support in a genuine way. Trying to teach the people how they can learn from their unfortunate circumstances. An enlightened person would also not make such a bold declaration that he is enlightened. That also shows you are not enlightened. I'm concerned for you because I used to talk in a somewhat similar way. I think you might be very emotionally numb and you think you are enlightened, but you aren't. Please try to reconnect with your emotions. People get tortured in this life, animals do too. Try to feel compassion don't just disregard suffering. If someone came to murder you or rape you or whatever, you wouldn't be able to detach from the suffering, you would suffer a lot.

[winterknight]

22 minutes ago, Aakash said:

i get why self inquiry is the royal road to enlightenment now; 

but theres one thing i don't get, why is it that even though enlightenment is finding the true self

that self-inquiry enlightenment doesn't match up to buddahood in comparison terms? 

i agree you find the same awareness in both methods 

but buddhist traditions overall have a more structured embodiment system that you just can't get with self-inquiry 

what's your thoughts on this? 

I'm not sure what you mean by 'structured embodiment' system. Do you mean the eightfold path, etc.? There can be structure in Hinduism too. You can read a text like Drk Drishya Viveka or the Bhagavad Gita and get loads more structure than just self-inquiry. Recommendations about diet or sleep and morality and much more can be found.

There are lots of different paths for different people with different temperaments and abilities. The path must 'fit' the seeker.

In the end you'll have to end up in self-inquiry in one form or another.

But while self-inquiry is the royal road, most people need to quiet their mind in various ways first before they can successfully pursue it. They might need to deal with various psychological issues they're having -- using therapy and other tools -- before they are ready to proceed on self-inquiry.

Buddhist -- or Hindu -- structures can help with that.

[sleepyj]

I think you've just convinced yourself that you don't exist, when clearly you do still. Pretending you don't exist while clearly lacking emotional depth is the telltale sign of extreme numbness. Just deflecting questions with "What is this?" "What is that?" makes no sense. For your own good and for others good, I hope you will stop this. If you are in fact numb and not enlightened, you will have mislead countless people on here. 

[Aakash]

@winterknight i totally agree with you, in a sense yes i am talking about a system like the eight fold path because self-inquiry doesn't ensure that you develop in this way. it ensures that you find the true nature of the self which is the buddah nature in my opinion. 

yes other hindu systems exsist, but how comes self-inquiry (the method itself, while doing it) isn't able to encorporate such values and beliefs. 

to me its pure direct cut to the truth. but enlightenment doesn't garuntee development or maturation of the self and the method of self inquiry does not either. 

where as the method of reaching your buddahood has it incorporated into the structure as a whole. 

i guess what i'm really asking if enligthenment is enlightenment without any distinction 

is the end of self inquiry the same as reaching buddahnature? 

or does it exclude the development in certain areas. 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Aakash

[winterknight]

14 minutes ago, Aakash said:

@winterknight i totally agree with you, in a sense yes i am talking about a system like the eight fold path because self-inquiry doesn't ensure that you develop in this way. it ensures that you find the true nature of the self which is the buddah nature in my opinion. 

yes other hindu systems exsist, but how comes self-inquiry (the method itself, while doing it) isn't able to encorporate such values and beliefs. 

to me its pure direct cut to the truth. but enlightenment doesn't garuntee development or maturation of the self and the method of self inquiry does not either. 

where as the method of reaching your buddahood has it incorporated into the structure as a whole. 

i guess what i'm really asking if enligthenment is enlightenment without any distinction 

is the end of self inquiry the same as reaching buddahnature? 

or does it exclude the development in certain areas. 

As I said above, usually  it is a requirement that someone who successfully takes on self-inquiry have a quiet enough mind to pursue it. That usually means they would have pursued development before self-inquiry.

In the Hindu texts self-inquiry is recommended for a mature seeker who has already developed in many ways. Usually, but not always. There are always exceptions. 

Self-inquiry doesn't aim at personal development; it aims at transcending the personal. 

Yes, enlightenment is enlightenment without distinction. Yes, enlightenment from self-inquiry is the same as buddha nature. All the other development of personality is just to create a quieter mind.  

But remember -- enlightenment is the clear felt realization that no such thing as "enlightenment" exists.

If that has not been seen, then ignorance remains.

[Aakash]

@winterknight yup okay totally agree with you.  i didn't know the part about the advance development bit, and i totally am an exception. i did self-inquiry for 6 years and 4 of those years i didn't know i was doing it.  so i can see how that happened 

thank you 

[purerogue]

Are you keeping awareness even when you sleep , to a point where you do not lose it  when you go to sleep and trough sleep? @winterknight

[FreeMe]

@winterknight I feel like I understand most of the concepts (but that might be a delusion in itself). What obstacles might I face in my journey as a result of this or is this a better place to start? Or does it really depend?

Is it my continual identification with the "I" as the thing which understood those concepts? Because as my body was typing the above question, it didn't even realize that it was calling itself the "I".

Also, can you help clarify what people mean when they say primary experience is crucial? What is primary experience referring to? How do I know when I am experiencing?

Thanks winterknight

[winterknight]

8 hours ago, purerogue said:

Are you keeping awareness even when you sleep , to a point where you do not lose it  when you go to sleep and trough sleep? @winterknight

I generally don't talk about "my" experience because it's misleading. If you have questions about your path, though, let me know. 

7 hours ago, FreeMe said:

@winterknight I feel like I understand most of the concepts (but that might be a delusion in itself). What obstacles might I face in my journey as a result of this or is this a better place to start? Or does it really depend?

Is it my continual identification with the "I" as the thing which understood those concepts? Because as my body was typing the above question, it didn't even realize that it was calling itself the "I".

Also, can you help clarify what people mean when they say primary experience is crucial? What is primary experience referring to? How do I know when I am experiencing?

Thanks winterknight

I don't know what you mean by primary experience -- I've never used that term. As far as concepts, they are necessary to begin with. You need to understand enough concepts that you feel comfortable with the path. So read, think, and ask questions.

These are my takes on self-inquiry. And these are my takes on the path as a whole.

[purerogue]

I see, I will find out sooner, or later anyway, just wanted to ask directly if my conclusion is right on where it is going.

So yes , it was question for my own path. 

 @winterknight

 

[winterknight]

8 minutes ago, purerogue said:

I see, I will find out sooner, or later anyway, just wanted to ask directly if my conclusion is right on where it is going.

So yes , it was question for my own path. 

 @winterknight

 

It doesn't much help your path to have images of what enlightenment is like. Such expectations are usually obstacles.

Edited February 9, 2019 by winterknight

[Aakash]

how do i become an enlightened master? do i have to give up living in illusion and embody it, i'm kinda confused about where to go next. 

i'm not searching for the knower, but trying to get an understanding of what are the truths that enlightened masters live by in a sense, because there are many falsehoods, but the knower is still the knower. so how does this make sense? 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Aakash

[purerogue]

9 minutes ago, winterknight said:

It doesn't much help your path to have images of what enlightenment is like. Such expectations are usually obstacles.

I guess you are right, just wanted to clarify if I am not going wrong direction and do not get caught up in some traps. 

[winterknight]

29 minutes ago, Aakash said:

how do i become an enlightened master? do i have to give up living in illusion and embody it, i'm kinda confused about where to go next. 

i'm not searching for the knower, but trying to get an understanding of what are the truths that enlightened masters live by in a sense, because there are many falsehoods, but the knower is still the knower. so how does this make sense? 

Who is it that wants to become an enlightened master? You must hunt down the I every waking moment. Stay in constant self-inquiry.

This "where to go next" and "how do I become" are products of the ego. 

13 minutes ago, purerogue said:

I guess you are right, just wanted to clarify if I am not going wrong direction and do not get caught up in some traps. 

Issues like whether you "keep awareness" during sleep and all that are totally irrelevant for a seeker. Thinking about such things is itself a trap. 

It's enough to know that you ARE during sleep, dream, deep sleep, waking... and to look deeply into what this "I" is.

Edited February 9, 2019 by winterknight

[andyjohnsonman]

I know from a true self point of view we are all one consciousness but what about from  a small self perspective do other ego's exist under the illusion of being ego's or are they a figment of my egoic consciousness like solipsism.  From a absolute perspective who am I that is asking you this now? As i am sure I am an individual self from my small self persepctive.

[winterknight]

4 minutes ago, andyjohnsonman said:

I know from a true self point of view we are all one consciousness but what about from  a small self perspective do other ego's exist under the illusion of being ego's or are they a figment of my egoic consciousness like solipsism.  From a absolute perspective who am I that is asking you this now? As i am sure I am an individual self from my small self persepctive.

In the end there is no different "small self" perspective vs. "true self" perspective. These ideas are just put out there as a bridge for the seeker, as a kind of helpful crutch for a while.

The absolute truth is beyond both such perspectives. 

So, in a nutshell: there is no answer I can give in words to this. You will have to inquire deeply into who you are  and then you will find the answer.  

Edited February 9, 2019 by winterknight

[andyjohnsonman]

1 minute ago, winterknight said:

In the end there is no different "small self" perspective vs. "true self" perspective. These ideas are just put out there as a bridge for the seeker, as a kind of helpful crutch for a while.

The absolute truth is beyond both such perspectives. 

So, in a nutshell: there is no answer I can give in words to this. You will have to inquire deeply into who you are  and then you will find the answer.  

Ok thanks. What about from an absolute truth perspective. Who am I who is typing these words that you are reading now?

[winterknight]

2 minutes ago, andyjohnsonman said:

Ok thanks. What about from an absolute truth perspective. Who am I who is typing these words that you are reading now?

Well, what I'm saying is that the perspectives are all wrong. Anything put in words is wrong.

See, I could say: "From the absolute truth perspective there cannot be said to be any I, any typing, or any world." But these are just words. You will have to feel it yourself to understand.

Edited February 9, 2019 by winterknight

[andyjohnsonman]

1 minute ago, winterknight said:

Well, what I'm saying is that the perspectives are all wrong. Anything put in words is wrong.

See, I could say: "From the absolute truth perspective there cannot be said to be any I, any typing, or any world." But these are just words. You will have to feel it yourself to understand.

Yes used the wrong word when i typed perspective as the absolute truth isn't a perspective, but to me it is as i haven't experienced it. However I am open to it. I just want to know your experience of the absolute truth who is typing this message to you now? I understand i can't comprehend this through language as you will say you are typing it. As I am you and we are all one but i just want your experience of the absolute to confirm this.

[QandC]

Why does the universe exist and what is its purpose?